WND EXCLUSIVE

Iran commander warns Obama on Syria

Denounces White House strategy to give rebels arms

Reza Kahlili, author of the award-winning book "A Time to Betray," served in CIA Directorate of Operations, as a spy in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, counterterrorism expert; currently serves on the Task Force on National and Homeland Security, an advisory board to Congress and the advisory board of the Foundation for Democracy in Iran (FDI). He regularly appears in national and international media as an expert on Iran and counterterrorism in the Middle East.

Iran is denouncing President Obama’s decision to provide weapons to some rebel factions fighting to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Gen. Hassan Firouzabadi, the Iranian military chief of staff, warned, “Obama has made his most dangerous blunder today as president of the U.S. when, with the deceit of the Israelis, he issued an order of sending weapons for terrorists in Syria,” reported Fars News Agency, a media outlet run by the Revolutionary Guards.

“Today the shipment of arms to the Syrian terrorists won’t solve anything as the Syrian nation with its national army will force the Israeli mercenaries to retreat and escape,” he said.

Firouzabadi claimed that providing weapons to “al-Qaida terrorists” and others in Syria is similar to the West providing chemical weapons to Saddam Hussein in Iraq. He said the weapons will be used against the Syrian people even though “the U.S. generals and the Zionists” blame the Syrian government for using chemical weapons against civilians.

The general also criticized France: “It is very strange that French officials demand the Syrian national army not to free their occupied country from the hands of terrorists.”

The Islamic regime has repeatedly warned against any attempt to overthrow Assad, an action which it has called a red line. The regime’s officials have openly stated that an Assad victory in Syria is essential to a greater power and role by the Islamic republic in the region and on the world stage.

As reported in 2011, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of the Islamic republic, in a letter filled with threats to Obama that reportedly had been delivered by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, accused the U.S. of meddling in Syrian affairs. Khamenei ordered the U.S. to cease and desist in pressuring the Syrian regime leadership. He warned that Iran would retaliate against America’s interests should Obama refuse to take him seriously.

About that time, the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, a media branch of Hezbollah, quoted several of its Tehran-based sources as saying that the Iranian leadership also warned Turkey against taking any military action against Syria. The report said any “militaristic meddling” in Syria by the Turks would be considered “crossing a red line” and would not be tolerated by the Iranian regime. Iran asked Hezbollah to join forces with the its Quds Forces to help the Assad regime, Al-Akhbar said.

As WND reported exclusively last year, a joint war room was created among Iran, Hezbollah and Syria to defeat the opposition in Syria and respond to any possible attack by U.S. or NATO forces with a directive for an immediate response.

The response would be a barrage of missiles from the three allies not only toward Israel but also at American assets in the region.

The London Independent reported Sunday that Iran has decided to send 4,000 troops from its Revolutionary Guards forces to Syria to assure Assad’s survival.

Sources have previously indicated that Qassem Soliemani, the head of the regime’s Quds Forces, has a permanent presence in Syria’s war room overseeing and managing the attacks on the opposition.

Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed his commitment to continue selling arms to the Assad government, including sophisticated weapons such as anti-ship Yakhont cruise missiles and the S-300 antiaircraft system.

The Obama administration indicated Friday that it will provide military support to the Syrian rebels, citing evidence of Assad crossing the red line by using nerve gas against the rebels.

“Following a deliberative review, our intelligence community assesses that the Assad regime has used chemical weapons, including the nerve agent sarin, on a small scale against the opposition multiple times in the last year,” said a White House statement.

CBS reported that Obama held an hour-long video conference with the leaders of Britain, Germany, France and Italy to build consensus for his Syria policy.

Since the Syrian uprising in March 2011, at least 93,000 people, including women and children, have lost their lives and more than 1.5 million Syrians have taken refuge in neighboring countries.